


The Hero and the Boy Who Wasn't

by Aweebwrites



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Original Character Death(s), Roleswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 11:17:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18690424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aweebwrites/pseuds/Aweebwrites
Summary: Follow Lloyd as he lives in the shadow of his twin brother Floyd; the Green Ninja.





	The Hero and the Boy Who Wasn't

Floyd was there when they were both left at Darkly’s by their mother, was there for when Lloyd was immediately picked on, seen as the weaker twin for his abnormalities, had defended him and promised under the cover of night that his red eyes or his pointed ears or his fangs and clawed nails didn’t make him a freak like they said, that he loved him no matter what, that they would always be brothers together forever. Lloyd had looked up to his older brother as if he were the very sun in his sky- and in reality, he was. Still is. They were kicked out together, raised the serpentine together. Taken in by Uncle Wu together.

Lloyd was the one who didn’t go to the arcade when Kai dropped them off. He was the one to go to Ouroboros and get kidnapped by Pythor. He was the one their father had to rescue but Floyd had snuck out to help and ended up being the one Kai had to rescue. Lloyd was there when they found out Floyd would be the Green Ninja.

With the disaster of the Devourer over, Lloyd watched as all focus shifted on Floyd. How could it not? He was the prophesied ninja. Floyd promised it would change nothing between them. Floyd lied. But Lloyd understood. Lloyd was there the moment he knew everything would change. His younger twin became the older one thanks to tomorrow’s tea while he remained small. Lloyd wasn’t there when they left for the Dark Island, told it was best he stayed back with Dareth.

_‘You’ll only get in the way.’_  Went unsaid but he knew.

Lloyd was there when the Overlord arrived in Ninjago City and had ran off the moment he saw the black scaled four armed figure. He didn’t need a scientist to see that it was their father who must have been possessed or mutated. He watched from a distant roof top as it all happened. He wanted to help but who was he kidding? He had no training other than the little he gave himself when no-one was around and he had no powers. Especially not golden power.

The real change came after. Everyone knew about the golden ninja and how he defeated the Overlord. Floyd was all over, accepting awards and living in the spotlight while Lloyd was taken in as a student at Uncle Wu’s school. He thought he could do something of himself there but comparing to all the other students, he was below average. When the ninja weren’t around, they made fun of him. He was unaffected by it, all too used to people talking behind his back and in front of him.

_'Lloyd the loser.’_

_‘Lloyd, master of nothing.’_

He didn’t let it get to him. And if he got pushed around, what does it matter? None of the ninja or even his uncle noticed the scratches or bruises on his arms and legs. Not that he blamed them. They had something to do and all he was is dead weight. It helped that he got to see his father without being consumed by evil often but it didn’t help that he only saw his brother twice since the whole Overlord thing. And it was in passing. He only ruffled his hair, despite knowing how much he hated that, promising a later date and moving on. After that, he wouldn’t see his brother for months.

During those months, he decided to do something about his lack of usefulness. He studied hard, reading books beyond his age, spending every spare second he got in Ninjago City’s library. He could be a doctor to help, was what he was thinking. Nya and Jay were already the mechanics for the team so medical was his next best bet. He went to a new school and his grades climbed by the day until soon, he was at the top of his class. He was excited to tell his father and his brother if he came around- and he did. To tell him that their father was gone, and this time, he wouldn’t be coming back. Lloyd’s entire world ground to a halt then. He had hopes and dreams of showing his father how far he’d come. Now all of those dreams were dashed. If he had known this would have happened, he would have lived with him at the monastery when he offered instead of staying with their uncle for school. His father had always been a second sun in his sky that shone as brightly as his brother and now…

Floyd stuck around after that and it made Lloyd want to scream. Why now? Why not before?! But he knew better. He had duties as the green ninja, the savior of Ninjago. It was why he worked so hard. To hold a place on the team and in extension, to hold a place next to his brother. His brother whom he so desperately wanted to be next to again. He kept slipping further and further away from his side somehow…

Lloyd wasn’t surprised when his brother had to leave again and he had to stay with Dareth again. He understood. Despite their father being gone, he wouldn’t back away from the goals he set for himself. He had started high school after all.

Dareth had to take care of all the parent stuff for school and while he didn’t hate him, he certainly wouldn’t see the brown ninja as a parental figure no matter how much time he spent with him. When he saw his brother again, it was with news that he was possessed and how they basically had to pretty much destroy an entire realm to save Ninjago. He wasn’t on a very talkative or social mood so Lloyd left him be.

He had eventually came out of it to visit Lloyd doing homework.

“Hey Lloyd? You got a moment?” Floyd had asked, walking up to where he was seated.

“Certainly.” Lloyd had responded, still focused on his math equations.

“Um…” Floyd says, scratching the back of his head, feeling as if Lloyd was mad at him which he had all right to be.

When was the last time they actually spoke aside from passing greetings?

“Look.” Floyd sighs, looking down. “You have all right to be mad at me but-”

“Who says I was mad?” Lloyd asked confused, turning around to face him.

“You aren’t?” Floyd blinked, surprised. “I thought… Since it’s been ages since we last spoke like this and me always being away…” He trailed off.

“That’s expected. You are the green ninja after all.” Lloyd pointed out. “You and the ninja are the ones keeping Ninjago safe. Of course you can’t always be around. It’d be foolish to be mad.” He says, turning back to his papers and Floyd frowned, looking over his older twin.

When did he go and get so mature on him? Looking at him now, he let his hair grow out from the bowl cut they both adorned as kids and he was even getting taller. He was really growing up and Floyd realised he missed nearly all of it. So much for brother’s together forever, huh? Floyd thought for a moment.

“Is that assignment due soon?” He asked him and Lloyd blinked down at it then at Floyd.

“No. I usually do my homework as soon as I get it. Why do you ask?” Lloyd asked curiously.

“I was thinking we could go out for a bit. To… you know, catch up.” Floyd shrugged and Lloyd looked at him confused.

“Outside? What’s wrong with inside?” He asked, not sure where he was going with this.

“… Nothing, just… Jay ate all the ice cream so I thought we’d go out and buy some.” Floyd says, wondering when did it get so hard to talk to his own brother.

“Oh. You mean an outing.” Lloyd says, just now getting what he meant.

“Um, yeah?” Floyd says, confused now.

He says outing as if- His eyes widened. As if he’s never gone out before. But that can’t be possible, right?

“You have gone out before, right?” Floyd questioned just in case.

“Yes. Several times. I need to go out to go to school after all.” Lloyd huffed, closing his books.

“But like outside of school. Have you ever gone out for fun?” Floyd clarified and Lloyd pondered.

“Yes. To the library.” He says and Floyd was left at a loss.

Does he even remember what fun is? Floyd looked determined. He would remind him of that today, no matter what.

___________________

Turns out no matter what meant rain. While Floyd did wear a fedora as a disguise, it was no umbrella.

“Well, we can cross getting ice-cream in the park off the list.” Floyd says drily as they were left standing under a sign for shelter.

“You know that hat isn’t going suddenly hide the fact that you are who you are from the people, right?” Lloyd pointed out as they waited for the rain to lighten up.

“Well it’s working so far, isn’t it?” Floyd asked with a grin and Lloyd gave a reluctant smile.

He supposed it was, despite how ridiculous the notion was. Strange how a person could be wearing something as simple as a hat or change their hairstyle and no-one would recognise them while their every other feature remains the same. He looked up at his brother who was looking up at the sky.

“So, how has school been going?” Floyd asked to make conversation and to catch up on all he missed out from his brother’s life.

“Well enough. I took on advanced math and English recently and while it differs greatly from what I’m used to, I’m proficient enough to handle it.” Lloyd says proudly as Floyd looked lost.

Big words all over the place. While his brother got to go to school and learn, he had to go around saving Ninjago and while he wouldn’t complain…

“You know, sometimes I envy you.” Floyd says lightly, tucking his hands into his pocket and Lloyd looked up at him confused.

“How so? I certainly don’t have any special powers.” He pointed out.

“No, but you get to be normal, or as normal as things get in Ninjago. You get to go to school and learn and make friends and play…” Floyd says wistfully and Lloyd frowned.

“Friends? I don’t have friends. I don’t have time to fool around either. I have to keep up on my studies so I can attend a proper college.” He told his brother who looked alarmed.

“No friends? How’s that even possible! You’re amazing!” Floyd blurts and Lloyd shrugged, recalling his interactions with people outside of the ninja and family.

They didn’t go well per say so he had made effort to ignore them and soon, they returned the favour. Something like friends haven’t crossed his mind. He looked at others and thought ‘they’ll only make fun of me or worse. I better stay away’ and that was that.

“It’s fine however. I don’t need friends nor do I have time for them. I have to study and keep my grades up.” Lloyd says and Floyd frowned, looking him over.

“What are you studying to become that’s even more important than friends?” Floyd asked him and Lloyd met his eyes.

“I want to become a doctor.” Lloyd told him. “Or to be a high leveled nurse.”

“Well, doctoring is great but-”

“I have to become a doctor so I can be useful to the team.” Lloyd says, cutting Floyd off who looked at him surprised. “I have to be of use. Nya and Jay already specialize in mechanics and Zane can cook. While I tried with chores, I ended up making things much worse. So I came to the conclusion I’d learn a vital skill and become vital to the team. Being a ninja, you all do get injured often and I could be there to patch you all up. Then perhaps…” He whispered, looking up at his brother as the sun came out then, bathing him in golden light.

“Perhaps I could be able to stand by your side again.” He says quietly and Floyd’s heart broke.

He thought after all this time, his brother would be mad at him for basically leaving him in the dust. Instead, he had been trying to catch up when there was no need for him to even feel the need to. Despite everything, he should have made time for his brother. They had time between missions, he could have spent them with his brother instead of training more than he needed to and taking up missions the others could have handled. He was working so hard to bridge the gap between them, he forgot about himself in the process.

“Lloyd…” Floyd whispered, voice filled with emotion and Lloyd tilted his head curiously. “You shouldn’t- I should-”

“Watch out!” Someone yelled and they looked up to see a car speeding down the road, splashing street water as they went.

Both boys flinched back, it being too late to run but Lloyd had felt odd during. The water caught his legs but he could feel it running down from somewhere as people around them gasped. Floyd who was unfortunately soaked everywhere Lloyd wasn’t standing had grimaced, opening his eyes- only for them to widen even further, looking at his brother. Lloyd opened his eyes, lowering his hand- then startled at the red and gold scaled wing that lowered too. He was about to question where the hell it came from when his body focused on the added weight on his back. No. No way.

“Lloyd…” Floyd whispered in awe as Lloyd hesitated before reaching out to touch the wing- his wing.

He could feel his own touch but it was all so odd… Why… Why did he have wings?

“It’s probably a good idea to get out of here…” Floyd says as people began to whisper around them.

“Logical conclusion.” Lloyd says after spotting the wary looks he got before they both took off.

**Author's Note:**

> Long story short, Wu has to explain the story of the Oni and Dragons earlier than expected since while Floyd barely has Oni and Dragon genes, Lloyd has them in spades. Floyd did get around to talking to Lloyd about his decisions in career but despite now knowing he was basically a dragon, he still wants to complete his studies.


End file.
